Actress Clare McCann begged for help before her son Atreyu took his own life after being mercilessly bullied at school

Daily Mail​

26-05-2025

Australian actress Clare McCann says she begged for help from authorities before her 13-year-old son Atreyu took his own life after relentless bullying at school.
Ms McCann revealed the bullying began in Atreyu's first week at a NSW high school and his suffering continued for two months until he was found dead at home.
'I begged for help,' Ms McCann said. 'I submitted complaints. I shared medical records. No one listened.
'He was just 13. He deserved a future. If the school and government had acted when I asked, he might still be alive.'
Ms McCann, who is best known for her starring role in the Channel V series Blog Party, is an acclaimed journalist, filmmaker, and founder of the Sydney Women's International Film Festival.
Atreyu's first day in Year 7 was February 5, according to a timeline Ms McCann has prepared to detail the bullying he experienced.
Ms McCann alleges Atreyu was held underwater 'in a violent incident during a mud run' during a Year 7 camp from February 7 to 9 but no report was made to her.
She further alleges Atreyu endured sexual harassment, threats and abuse throughout the camp and was not offered psychological support.
Ms McCann says she was initially denied a meeting with teachers on February 13 after police advised her the matter was 'best dealt with at the school'.
She says the next day she was told by a senior school figure the camp incident was 'typical peer reaction' and Atreyu received a warning.
Ms McCann claims the bullying persisted with Atreyu being subjected to a racial slur during sport, and verbal taunts about his size and appearance, which relate to a congenital condition.
She says in March the school was informed other students crafted a weapon to coerce Atreyu into self-harm but no action was taken.
Later that month, Atreyu missed multiple days of classes 'due to stress and fear' and one day tried to call his mother in distress from school.
According to Ms McCann, Atreyu had his bag stolen and faced further public abuse.
Ms McCann says her son warned he would take his life on April 2 if he was forced to return to school.
She claims no disciplinary action was taken after demanding the students who were bullying Atreyu being suspended or expelled.
From April 6 to 10, Atreyu was afraid to go outside and on April 11 he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
He eventually took his own life at home after sending a last message expressing love and an apology. The message included a red heart emoji.
The NSW Department of Education said it takes allegations of bullying seriously and has strong policies in place to deal with this issue.
The department and the school worked with the family to support Atreyu through his schooling.
'We are devastated to learn of the death of a student from a Sydney high school and extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and community members,' NSW Deputy Secretary Public School Deborah Summerhayes said.
'The Department of Education is providing counselling and other wellbeing support to students and staff who require it.'
Ms McCann is now asking for help raising $300,000 to have Atreyu cryogenically frozen so he might one day be brought back to life by scientific advances.
'As my worst nightmare has come to life my child's has been stolen,' she wrote alongside a photo of her with Atreyu at a movie premiere.
'It breaks my heart beyond what words can compare to share that in a moment of unbearable pain Atreyu took his own life.
'This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system as he suffered horrendous amounts of bullying.'
Ms McCann explained on a GoFundMe page that there is a very small window to have her son frozen.
'We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days,' she wrote.
'If we miss this window, we lose the chance for any future revival that science may offer. This is about hope and justice. Refusing to let my son's story end in silence.'
Cryogenic freezing, also known as cryopreservation, is the process of using extreme cold to preserve biological material, like human remains, for extended periods, with the hope of future revival.
Southern Cryonics, the first cryonics facility in the Southern Hemisphere, announced it had cryogenically frozen its first person, 'Patient One', in May last year.
Ms McCann said that any funds exceeding the $300,000 goal would go towards a national anti-bullying campaign, as well as legal action against the 'institutions that failed him'.
'I am a public figure with a national platform, and I will use every resource I have to make sure this never happens again, not just to my son, but to any other child failed by this system,' she said.
Ms McCann claimed on her fundraising page that she had 'begged' the Department of Education and Children's Services to intervene in Ateryu's case.
'I have medical records, psychologist reports, a formal PTSD diagnosis from his doctor, and emails proving I raised the alarm repeatedly. But nothing was done. No one stepped in. And now, my beautiful boy is gone,' she wrote.
Ms McCann broke the heartbreaking news of her son's death on Saturday, saying that Atreyu was 'the brightest light' in her world.
'It's with shattered hearts that we share the passing of my beautiful son, Atreyu McCann,' she wrote. 'He was the brightest light in my world - kind, creative, and endlessly loved.'
'Right now, we are grieving a loss that words can't hold. Please give us time and space as we process this unimaginable pain.
'Thank you to everyone who has supported and loved Atreyu. We'll share more when we're ready. For now, please hold him in your hearts.'
Atreyu followed in Ms McCann's acting footsteps, appearing in the 2019 film Benefitted, which was directed by and also starred his mother.
The burgeoning actor also picked up a role in an episode of true crime series Deadly Women.
He starred in the short film Black Truck, in which he played Josiah, a young boy living with a condition that causes a total lack of colour vision.
The young actor was no stranger to the stage either, having appeared in numerous productions for the Australian Theatre For Young People.
Atreyu was also frequently spotted with his mother on the red carpet at various film premieres.